ECO-DESIGN & HARDWOOD FLOORING

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ECO-DESIGN & HARDWOOD FLOORING

By Gabriele Campbell, ASP, CID

www.campbellinteriordecorating.ca

The title sounds like an oxymoron – how can hardwood flooring be eco-friendly? It depends on the environmental practices of the manufacturer. At a time in the earth’s history when what we do to our environment has become scientific statistical data, it has become quite vogue to be aware of the impacts our decorating decisions have on our fragile world.

Environmental Stewardship - the careful and responsible management of our natural resources and the environment – is the new buzz phrase when it comes to the use of natural products. If a manufacturer promotes Environmental Stewardship, how does that translate into the quality and price of the products we buy?

Typically, products we buy from companies that have an environmental conscience cost more. But you can bet the product you are buying has a life-cycle that won’t negatively impact the environment, fosters reusing and recycling materials, and still performs to meet the highest standards.

Hardwood floors are beautiful. While many flooring products have a life span of 5-25 years, hardwood has a life expectancy of 100 years. The floor will usually out live the house. Hardwood is rich, warm, and comes in many colours, species and grades. It reflects the life of the people who live in the house developing a distinct character through the scratches and dents of celebrations, puppies, babies and day to day use.

But how can hardwood, a product that seemingly strips away forests that take 25 years to regenerate, be an eco-friendly product? Again, it depends on who the manufacturer is. Every once in a while I come across a great product line, and I was blown away by the environmental practices at Lauzon Flooring.

Lauzon Flooring, a company who has made it their primary mandate to manage forests responsibly, has made environmental stewardship an integral part of their philosophy, culture and daily practices. And their 76 inspection points from harvest to delivery account for the best “fit & finish” product on the market.

Let’s start with harvesting. Lauzon harvests trees that are either sick or dying, target forests that are dense, -- sometimes too dense for healthy trees to grow -- leaving the “teen” trees to mature and grow and harvesting the adults, and they only buy from forestry companies that demonstrate good environmental practices. Lauzon actually owns a forest in Quebec where they can manage the growth, harvest, milling and production of their hardwood flooring products from start to finish. Every bi-product of their process recycles waste into usable energy products, like pellets for pellet burning wood stoves.

Drying the wood can be more complex. Hardwood starts at a moisture content of 60-70%, and in order to be properly kiln dried, the moisture content must be brought down to 6-8%. Lauzon kilns are equipped with sensors that detect the moisture content of the wood throughout the drying process. They automatically adjust the temperate and time according to species and current moisture content to bring the wood to the ideal moisture content for hardwood floors.

Refinishing practices have changed considerably over the past decade with the impact of VOC’s on humans and on the environment. VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) are emitted gases from certain solids and liquids, and contribute to short and long term health concerns. Polyurethane and acid cured finishes (high in VOC’s) used to be common practice, but Lauzon has implemented environmentally friendly water-based, low-VOC, formaldehyde-free compounds and finishes called Polymerized Titanium or polynium. Eights coats of polynium ensure the finish stays clear, remains flexible and is 10 times more resistant to abrasion.

Offering over 200 SKUS of hardwood products including species, colours and board widths, Lauzon continues to introduce new products and evolve their practices to bring the luxury of hardwood to their customers while maintaining their commitment to the environment. Ask about their newest hardwood – Betula Walnut.